Niwa Nagashige, the eldest son of the loyal general Niwa Nagahide under Oda Nobunaga, entered the realm of warfare at the tender age of 12. His initial taste of battle occurred alongside his father during the confrontation against Shibata Katsuie under Toyotomi Hideyoshi at the Battle of Shizugatake. In the following year, at the age of 13, Nagashige stepped into the shoes of his ailing father and led the Niwa army at the Battle of Komaki-Nagakute.
Tragedy struck at the age of 14 when Niwa Nagashige found himself thrust into the position of the head of the Niwa clan and in charge of his father's extensive 1,230,000 koku estates following Nagahide's passing. While Nagashige's father was wed to an adopted daughter of their master, Oda Nobunaga, Nagashige's union was with Ho-onin, the actual 5th daughter of Nobunaga.
The shifting tides of power and alliances brought challenges to Nagashige's legacy. Accused of treachery during the 1585 attacks on the Toyama region, Toyotomi Hideyoshi demoted Nagashige from 1,230,000 koku to a mere 150,000 koku. Further setbacks occurred two years later during the Kyushu subjugation, with Nagashige's income reduced to a meager 40,000 koku. However, his valor at the Siege of Odawara led Hideyoshi to restore his fortunes, elevating his income to 120,000 koku.
Remaining loyal to the Toyotomi clan, Nagashige aligned himself with the Western forces under Ishida Mitsunari at the Battle of Sekigahara. This alliance resulted in the loss of his daimyo status and possessions. Recognizing Nagashige's value, Tokugawa Ieyasu granted him 10,000 koku and land at Futsuto in present-day Ibaragi Prefecture in 1603. The Niwa family name was fully reinstated after Nagashige's exemplary service in the Battles of Osaka in 1614 and 1615, where he fought under Tokugawa colors. He received lands at Edosaki along with 20,000 koku, followed by an increase to 50,000 koku and the Tanakura (Fukushima) Domain in 1622. In 1627, he was transferred to Shirakawa in modern-day Fukushima Prefecture, earning 100,700 koku. During his tenure, he expanded and reconstructed Komine Castle.
Niwa Nagashige breathed his last on April 30, 1637, just shy of his 66th birthday. His final resting place is at the Enmei-ji Temple in Shirakawa, Fukushima Prefecture, a testament to his enduring legacy in Japanese history.
See also
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Matsudaira Nagachika
Matsudaira Nagachika (1473–1544?) was a daimyō of Japan’s Sengoku period and the third son of Matsudaira Chikatada. He was also the great-grandfather of Tokugawa Ieyasu.
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Oishi Yoshio
Oishi Yoshio (April 24, 1659 – March 20, 1703) served as the chamberlain of the Ako Domain in Harima Province, now part of modern-day Hyogo Prefecture, from 1679 to 1701. He is best known as the leader of the Forty-seven Rōnin in their 1703 vendetta and is honored as the central figure in the legendary tale of Chūshingura.
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Asano Nagaakira
Asano Nagaakira (March 18, 1586 – October 16, 1632) was a Japanese samurai and daimyō of the early Edo period. He initially ruled Wakayama Domain before being transferred to the Hiroshima Domain, where his family would remain until the Meiji Restoration.
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Takigawa Kazumasu
Takigawa Kazumasu (1525 – October 21, 1586), also known as Takikawa Sakon or Sakonshogen, was a prominent samurai and daimyō of the Sengoku period. He served as a loyal retainer and military commander under Oda Nobunaga and later Toyotomi Hideyoshi. His biological son, Toshimasu, was adopted by Maeda Toshihisa, the elder brother of Maeda Toshiie, and Kazumasu served alongside Toshiie in Nobunaga’s campaigns.
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Sanada Yukitaka
Sanada Yukitaka (c. 1512 – June 8, 1574) was a renowned samurai warrior of the Sengoku period, best known as one of the "Twenty-Four Generals of Takeda Shingen." He was the father of Sanada Nobutsuna and Sanada Masayuki, as well as the grandfather of the legendary Sanada Yukimura, who later served the Toyotomi clan.
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Torii Mototada
Torii Mototada (1539 – September 8, 1600) was a Japanese samurai and daimyo who lived through the Sengoku and late Azuchi–Momoyama periods. A loyal retainer of Tokugawa Ieyasu, he is best remembered for his heroic last stand at the Siege of Fushimi, an event that played a crucial role in shaping Japanese history.
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Toyotomi Hideyori
Toyotomi Hideyori (August 28, 1593 – June 4, 1615) was the son and designated successor of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the general who first unified Japan. His mother, Yodo-dono, was Oda Nobunaga's niece.
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Okubo Tadanori
Okubo Tadanori (January 13, 1842 – August 10, 1897) was the 9th daimyo of Odawara Domain in Sagami Province (modern-day Kanagawa Prefecture) during the late Edo period. Before the Meiji Restoration, he held the courtesy title of Kaga no Kami.
